Switch.



A-i A. KENT.

swncn. APPLlCATi-ON FILED DEC. 7. 1908 @md May 23, A1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET INVENTOR ATTORNEY WHWESSES A. KENT.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7l 1908.

Patented May 23, 1916 2 SHEETssHEET-z.

nxxmwN INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED sTATns raajnrir oFF-ion..

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT, or riiinannnrrrn, PENNSYLVANIA.

S/VITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rateetea May 23, 1916.

Original application led February 25, 1908, Serial No. 417,718.Dividecland this application led December To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ATwATnr KENT, a. citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSwitches, of which the following is a full,

clear, and y*exact disclosure.

My invention relates to electrical switches, and especially to thatclass of devices which ,gre used on the sparking circuits of combus-@ftion engines for automobiles, motor-boats,

` dated November 5, 1912.

aoy

My invention consistsof a circuit closing device adapted to control orconnect or open 0r close a plurality of electrical circuits by means'ofa single hand-operated member which, by its motion in one direction isadapted vto close a plurality of circuits, and when released, cuts outone or'inore of the circuits which it previously closed.

My invention is especially applicable to the controlling of sparkingcircuits of multiple-cylinder internal combustion engines in which eachcylinder is put, at the proper time by a distribnter, into circuit witha contact device or timer for the purpose of causing a spark in theproper cylinder. In such circuits itis usual to have a contact device ortimer-mechanically connected with the crank shaft'rof the engine, andthe said device is operated thereby to intermittently make and break thecircuit at the proper time. After the engine has been once .started thecircuit is automatically and intermittently opened and closed throughthe said contact device or timer. The diliiculty with such systems Ahasbeen that after the engine has stopped, some special provision has to bemade tov make the first spark to .plode the charge in the proper.cylinder. in-

asmuch as, when the engine is stopped, the circuit 1s usually broken atthe tuner. lo

' do this I have provided a switch for the primary of the sparkingcircuit to prevent waste ofthe current 1n the primary c1r.

Serial No. 466,232.

.cuit whenever the engine is stopped -in such a position as to close thetimer.

By my invention a single switch may be used to cause the first spark andto open and close the circuit.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive, anddurabledevice for opening and closing one or a plurality of circuits; toprovide a device which till close a starting circuit, and a sparkingcircuit substantially simultaneously; to construct a combined switch andstarting device so that the circuits may be controlled by a gie hand ormechanically operated movable member; to operate the said device so thatthe movement which closes the switch also closes a second or startingcircuit; to provide a. device in which the closing of the sparliingcircuit is auton'iatically eiiected by circuit through the the same actas that which closes the run-- vning circuit; to cause the device toautomatil cally cut out all but one circuit as soon as the movable oroperating. member of the switch is released after the switch is closed;and to cause the said movable or switch-operating member after the maincurrent has been closed to auton'iati'cally move to a position out ofengagement with all contacts in the switch except those through whichthe main circuit is closed.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification below.

In. the drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in 'whichthe same reference characters are used to refer to the saine partsthroughout the various views, Figure l. is a plan view, with thevcoverremoved, of my switch, connected with an electrical circuit containing amechanical contact device or timer, an induction coilv and a battery,the parts being in the position they occupy when the circuit through thetimer is broken. 2 is like view of the same with the circuits closedthrough and also around the timer, a part of the switch member beingshown broken away to ,expose the starter. Fig. is a view similar to Fig.l with the parte in the .:mtive position they assuine when the handle isreleased after having been moved to the positions shown in Fi 2. l? t isa sectional view on the line 4 -i of Fig 2. is a jtiierspective View ofa detail of construction. 6 is plan view, partly in section, et theplugafor cutcontact device or timer which is diagrammatically shown ascomprising a ratchet wheel 53, connected in any suitable manner' to berotated from the crank shaft of the engine (not shown) which ratchet.wheel when put Ain motion in the direction of the arrow, engages aresilient contact arm 54 carrying 'contact point 55 and intermittently-makes and breaks the'circuit betweengthe said contact points 52 andFrom the arm 54 a lead 56 extends to the binding-post 3 5 through asuitable hole 57 in the base 1 of the casing, From the binding-post'33 alead 58 passing through a hole 59 is also connected to the stationarycontact point 52 of the timer. rlhe secondary winding 60 ot' theinduction coil is shown as having its terminals connected to a sparkplug 61. y

The' operation of my device is as follows:

When stopped the Lparts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the handle3l to the right,

. the bar 15 against the toppin 10 and out of contact with theswitclrcontact 12 and the contact-points 52 -and 55 'or the timer alsoout of engagement. To start the engines, that is to say to close thecircuit and 'y cause ,the irst spark in the spark plug (3l the handle 31ispressed to the left.- rlhis causes the lever 23A-to turn on its pivot24,

against the tension of the spring 27 until the other-end of theelongated slot 2G engages the pin 25, when the bar l5 is carried .alongwith the lever 23 and its inner end rides up` over the beveled'end 13 ofthe contact `12 and closes the circuit through the p switch. As long vasthe contact-points 52 and l are separated nc current can 'tlow l throughthe :coil 50. As the handle 31 is pressed further to thelett the contactpoint 29 on the lever 23 engages the contact- 34 on the plate 32 landthe current vFlows from battery 48 lead L19e/oil 50, lead 51, lead 53,plate 32, contact points 34, 29, bar 15, plate 12,

and lead 46.back to battery'48. At the same time that the Contact points29 and 34 engage, the rounded head 30 ot the pin 25 will register withthe countersunk hole 11 in the plate 8 and will be-thrust'into it underthe action of the spring 20 thus locking the bar 15 in the positionshown iii-Figs. 2 and 3.

' As soon as the handle 31 is'released, however, thespri'ng 27. swingsthe lever 23 back timer.

The' operation oitmydevice would be lslightly'diierent if theftension ofthe spring' to the position shown in Fig. 3 thus separating the.platinum contacts 29 and 34 and causing a spark in the plug 61. Thisspark causes the first explosionin the engine vwhich begins to turn andconsequently rotate the ratchet wheel53, making and breaking thecircuitattheV contact points 52 and 55 of the 27 vweresu'tlleientlygreat to carry the bar 15 withthe'lever 23 when the handleis pressed t0 .the left, in which case thelever 23 would not turn on itspivot 24 until the head 30 of the pin 25-'was forced into thecountersunk hole 11`- of the plate Sand the bar 15 locked in theposition shown in Fig. 2.

Then a Jfurther pressure on the handle 31 would cause the lever 23 toswing on its pivot 24, and the contact points 29 and 34 to be broughttogether.

ltis, of course, obvious that if the first spark -r'ails to start theengine, the contacts 29 and 34 may be brought together and thenseparated as often as desired'until the engine runs steadily. The plug42 is usually-v removed when the handle is swung to the right, as in Fig1 so as to prevent any un# authorized person from starting the engine bypressing the handle 31 to the lett.

Although I have illustrated one of the uses to which my invention may beput, I

do not wish to be construed as being limited solely to this embodimentthereof, since many changes may be made in construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention so long as they fall withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States iss-w 1. ln a switch thecombination of a main contact point, a secondary Contact point, a

main switch member movable into and out of engagement with said maincontact point, a secondary .sw-itch member, mounted on said main switchmember, and yieldable with respect to said main switch member to aposition slightly in advance of said main4 switch member, a handleoperatively connected to said secondary switch member for moving saidmain switch member'int'o engagement with said main contact point andsaid secondary switch Amember necessarily 'into engagement with saidsecondary contact point, in moving said main switch member intoengagement with said main contact point.

2. In a switch the combination of a main contact point, a secondaryContact point, a main switch member .movable into and out of engagementwith said main contact point',

'means to normally 'hold saidsecondary switch member outof electricalengagement with said secondary Contact 'point When said' ber intoengagement; with said main contact point, and means to hold said mainswitch member normally out of electrical engagement with said secondarycontact point.

1n witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this second day ofDecember, A. D.

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT. Witnesses ALsToN B. MoUL'roN, JOHNl B.-RUTzvrnRFonu

